The Tango sessions were this bad?

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by bwboy

I’m going by memory, but in Mick’s book when he mentioned Stevie complained that she wasn’t on the record much, they argued a bit and then Lindsey added her and everyone felt better. I figure that’s when she was added to Little Lies. So we have to agree to disagree- after all, some people say they can’t hear Stevie on Magnet and Steel, but can hear her on Heart of Stone. So who knows.

The biggest mystery is Don't Come Around Here No More. When I first heard the song on the radio in 1985, I thought wow its cool Stevie is singing back up. I was shocked she was not credited on the album to find out she did not sing. It was Sharon Celani who sang back up. Is it her familiar voice that made me think it's Stevie? Or is Stevie really there but not credited. I go back and forth. I say no now but every now and then when I hear that song I swear I hear her.

[UnwindedDreams]

Originally Posted by SteveMacD

Recording in Lindsey’s bedroom was understandably a bit much for Stevie and she needed to lubricate

That is a wholesome sentence there

But I get you, no drama for the recording.

[cbBen]

Originally Posted by bwboy

There’s no question that’s Stevie on Little Lies. Everywhere, I don’t know but I presume that’s her. Family Man I couldn’t possibly listen to that song again to see if I can tell who’s singing background- yuck.

We've been through this. Stevie is on the three songs on which she sings lead, "Little Lies," the extended mix (but not the album mix) of "Big Love," and that's it. Nothing else.

[ricohv]

Originally Posted by cbBen

We've been through this. Stevie is on the three songs on which she sings lead, "Little Lies," the extended mix (but not the album mix) of "Big Love," and that's it. Nothing else.

AND...the extended mix of Family Man. It's not much, I know, but I actually love her weird vocal additions to the extended mixes of those songs!

[HomerMcvie]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I was shocked she was not credited on the album to find out she did not sing. It was Sharon Celani who sang back up. Is it her familiar voice that made me think it's Stevie?

There's a (pop) country guy named David Nail, whose first album I absolutely fell in love with. Played it EVERY DAY for a couple of years.

Other than FM, I've never been much of a liner notes reader. After more than a couple years of being obsessed with it, I finally read the notes. It was WADDY playing guitar on it!!!

Coincidence? Maybe not? Maybe it was a sound I was so familiar with, that it just sucked me in?

[David]

Remember the 2017 Salon article by Annie Zaleski? Dashut and Greg Droman shared some great information:

• Droman hit it off with Dashut while engineering “Can’t Help Falling in Love” at Rumbo, so much so that Dashut pulled Droman over to work on “Time Bomb Town” at the same studio.

• Lindsey had Droman start engineering his 1986 solo album at Rumbo, down the hall from where Fleetwood Mac was just starting sessions for their next album (with Jason Casaro). When Lindsey decided to put his album on hold, Droman thought he was out of a job — until Dashut called him down the hall to engineer the Mac sessions.

• Lindsey was paying close attention to Kate Bush at the time, who was using some of the same studio technology that he was.

• The most important technological innovation on Tango was not the Fairlight digital samplings but the use of variable speed — recording and playback at half speed or twice speed — which created the crystal-like high end and chorusy quality on the album. The band spent huge amounts of time recording or modifying parts and bits at variable speed, adjusting until an effect in the sonics was achieved.

• Lindsey was handling a lot more engineering at the micro level in 1986 than he had a decade prior. Consequently, Dashut and Droman helped with basics such as setting levels or mics but then stepped back and offered mostly spoken support while Lindsey ran the board.

• Tango was recorded and mixed to analog tape (when other bands were immersed in digital) but used a two-track digital machine for mastering. Just like with Jaws in 1976, however, this digital machine wound up eating the bits of manually spliced tapes, which made for a crisis every bit as major as the 1976 crisis, when the tape heads destroyed the high end on all the masters.

• Dashut said that cocaine wasn’t a big problem at that point, but marijuana and alcohol were.

[cbBen]

Originally Posted by ricohv

AND...the extended mix of Family Man. It's not much, I know, but I actually love her weird vocal additions to the extended mixes of those songs!

Thanks. Listening now.

I don't understand how she could be available to make these positive contributions to these extended mixes but was left off the album versions. Did she do them after the album wrapped?

The story Lindsey has historically presented is that she was unavailable and they had to make do via all manner of gimmickry. Yet here she is on these extended mixes making positive contributions.

[Macfan4life]

I did not mean to reignite the debate about which are Stevie's vocals on Tango. My point was the surprise of Lindsey deleting her vocals after she left. Apparently it was not just her absence that impacted the album but also her lousy vocals. But that should be no surprise. The RAL sessions also had some crappy vocals.

I dont take a position of what Stevie recorded on the other singer's songs on Tango. Lindsey stated or never denied cleverly creating Stevie's voice. I take him at his word. There is not much of Stevie on the other songs so you really have to wonder if its her at all. The remix versions of the singles shed no light on the subject. Remix of singles happen when Warner Brothers is polishing up the album for release and promotion. These were probably done around the same time they filmed the videos. If anything, IMHO the remixes show how much Stevie did not sing on the album tracks. I owned the Little Lies extended remix. Stevie's voice on that remix is completely different than the album track. She was out of rehab, rejoining the band and preparing promoting Tango. Lindsey needs to come clean

There is no dispute its Stevie on Seven Wonders and WISYA. Although Lindsey did some tape stuff and added his own vocal to the end of one of those songs. So the options would be:

A. Everywhere
B. Family Man
C. Little Lies
D. All of the above (either way)

I was not the only one who could swear they could hear Stevie in the chorus in Red Sun although we know she was not there. Lindsey has a way of crafting his voice. I refused to believe Family Man was not Stevie. Someone reported here it was Lindsey a few years ago. I did not believe it until I did my long investigation......slowing down and listening with headphones. I then became convinced it most likely was Lindsey. Then I was like holy crap, if this is Lindsey then its not too far off to believe the other songs are Lindsey too.

[DownOnRodeo]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

A. Everywhere
B. Family Man
C. Little Lies
D. All of the above (either way)

Lindsey has a way of crafting his voice.

I am speaking with no authority, but...

The 'can't disguise' line in Little Lies is a cameo by Stevie. It is 100% her voice, a complex vocal, fingerprint that cannot be modulated from Lindsey's. Also, although further evidence is not needed, the idea that Stevie would be in the video lip-synching that line as if it was her voice but it was actually Lindsey, is something Stevie would have never permitted, or at least we would have heard about it from her by now. All the backing vocals are Lindsey except for two parts in the chorus where Christine harmonizes with herself ("tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies" and "oh no no you can't disguise" panned to the left). Stevie is mostly not shown in the video as singing on the rest of the chorus (because she didn't), except for two aberrant instances at the final chorus, where I guess they wanted the whole band in the one shot and it would look weird for Stevie not to be singing along with Chris and Linds.

"Everywhere" is all Lindsey except the glorious lead vocal by Christine. Stevie's voice makes no appearance.

"Seven Wonders" all three are singing backing vocals on the chorus.

Which part of "Family Man" is even supposed to possible sound like Stevie? The really deep "a family man" part?

[DownOnRodeo]

Originally Posted by David

Remember the 2017 Salon article by Annie Zaleski? Dashut and Greg Droman shared some great information.

• The most important technological innovation on Tango was not the Fairlight digital samplings but the use of variable speed — recording and playback at half speed or twice speed — which created the crystal-like high end and chorusy quality on the album. The band spent huge amounts of time recording or modifying parts and bits at variable speed, adjusting until an effect in the sonics was achieved.

Fascinating, David. Thanks for getting me "up to speed".

Their efforts paid off, artistically and financially. There are so many crafty little tweaks, especially to the vocals.

[BigAl84]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Dont be so sure. I would have never believed it was not Stevie on Family Man. When I heard it was Lindsey with his machine, I went back and listened very closely. Lindsey was very crafty and he did all sort of voice things on this record. He even made his own voice sound like a woman grunting. Until I hear Lindsey's perspective, I am not convinced either way because I have already been amazed. I also thought it was Stevie on Everywhere too. Mick's book gives circumstantial evidence its not when Stevie flew into a rage that she SHOULD be on background vocals on that song. And Chris told Stevie she wanted it but YOU were not around. If Lindsey's machine and gadgetry sounds just like Stevie on Family Man, then I am open to the possibilities on other songs. Lindsey even took the original Seven Wonders vocal track and sped it up without making Stevie sound like a chipmunk. This is why we need a Lindsey book. Another piece of circumstantial evidence on Little Lies. We hear the Tell me Lies part but in the chorus we dont really hear Stevie. Why? She sang only the tell me lies line and then not the chorus? Seems odd. Like I said, I could go either way but its pretty amazing. Another possibility is that it is Stevie's voice but she was not there to sing it. Somehow he got her voice and inserted it in the song.


Or just maybe Stevie has a twin we never knew about. She was also born in the desert. She does not perform live but sneaks in for vocal tracks. If you ever notice we never see the solo Stevie and the Fleetwood Mac Stevie at the same place. Rumor has it she sings back up for Kelly Clarkson.

That's crazy. For 20 years I never thought for a minute that was Stevie singing on Family Man. It always appeared super obvious it was an effect on Lindsey's voice.

[SteveMacD]

If anything, I always thought Christine was singing on “Family Man,” but now think it’s just Lindsey’s modulated voice.

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by DownOnRodeo

I am speaking with no authority, but...

The 'can't disguise' line in Little Lies is a cameo by Stevie. It is 100% her voice, a complex vocal, fingerprint that cannot be modulated from Lindsey's. Also, although further evidence is not needed, the idea that Stevie would be in the video lip-synching that line as if it was her voice but it was actually Lindsey, is something Stevie would have never permitted, or at least we would have heard about it from her by now. All the backing vocals are Lindsey except for two parts in the chorus where Christine harmonizes with herself ("tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies" and "oh no no you can't disguise" panned to the left). Stevie is mostly not shown in the video as singing on the rest of the chorus (because she didn't), except for two aberrant instances at the final chorus, where I guess they wanted the whole band in the one shot and it would look weird for Stevie not to be singing along with Chris and Linds.

"Everywhere" is all Lindsey except the glorious lead vocal by Christine. Stevie's voice makes no appearance.

"Seven Wonders" all three are singing backing vocals on the chorus.

Which part of "Family Man" is even supposed to possible sound like Stevie? The really deep "a family man" part?

I'm an idiot because I always thought that bridge part was Stevie until about 5 years ago. It sounds like her no? My impression was after rehab and the album practically done, Lindsey layered in her voice on Family Man and Everywhere, and Little Lies. But if its not Family Man or Everywhere then its just Little Lies.

The mystery continues then. Which Stevie voice sound is Lindsey doing and which song?

[bwboy]

Originally Posted by DownOnRodeo

Also, although further evidence is not needed, the idea that Stevie would be in the video lip-synching that line as if it was her voice but it was actually Lindsey, is something Stevie would have never permitted, or at least we would have heard about it from her by now. All the backing vocals are Lindsey except for two parts in the chorus where Christine harmonizes with herself ("tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies" and "oh no no you can't disguise" panned to the left). Stevie is mostly not shown in the video as singing on the rest of the chorus (because she didn't), except for two aberrant instances at the final chorus, where I guess they wanted the whole band in the one shot and it would look weird for Stevie not to be singing along with Chris and Linds.

Agreed with pretty much everything you said, but I wouldn’t really consider the video for Little Lies evidence one way or the other. After all, the video for Big Love shows her singing the entire chorus along with Lindsey. Christine, too, I think.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

Mick's book gives circumstantial evidence its not when Stevie flew into a rage that she SHOULD be on background vocals on that song. And Chris told Stevie she wanted it but YOU were not around. .

Right, the exact quote at Mick's first book was:

We did have one blowout with Stevie when she came to the studio to listen to the mixes before Tango in the Night was released. After the playback was finished, she began to storm around the studio like a tornado. "It's like I'm not even on this record," she complained. "I can't hear myself at all." I knew Stevie pretty well, and could tell she was angry. Then she threatened us. "All right, maybe I wasn't able to get to the studio that much, but how is it going to look when the record comes out and I might have to tell Rolling Stone that I didn't work on it?"
Christine McVie's eyes narrowed. She'd had a couple of glasses of wine, and wasn't about to be trifled with. "OK, Stevie," she said, "what are you so upset about?"
"I should be singing on 'Everywhere,'" Stevie said. "You should hear me singing harmony on that song."
"I wanted you to sing on it too," Chris said in measured tones that signaled she was furious, "but you weren't here. In fact, we've been working for a year and you were only with us for a couple of days. Now why don't you just say you're sorry and we'll work it out?"
Omits gracefully, Stevie capitulated in front of the whole band, and we gleefully layered her vocals into the mix of the album, which now sounded indeed more like Fleetwood Mac. Stevie had been right after all, and so had Christine.

Previously, there was this:

Stevie finally showed up in January 1987; we'd been working six months, and it was the only time the whole band was in the studio together. We had been sending copies of our working tapes to Stevie's home in Arizona. On her part, she was dreading that Lindsey, in his producing capacity, would be sarcastic toward her, but he made an effort not to be as much of a martinet as he was with the rest of us. He was under some strain with this project, and lost his patience occasionally, but with Stevie we wanted him to be more objective and professional. He tried to make her feel great in the studio, and they got on well. (The love-hate saga between those two will never end.)